PCB manufacturing

[greysun]

hey everyone!

I need to get a couple somewhat large PCBs made: approx 2.1" x 16.65". Looking through reviews, it seems like itead and seeed are the best options - though seeed allows for a custom size, and itead won't let me put in my custom dimensions. The online tool said that 10 of them would be $37.

Is seeed good quality? If so, are there any notes for setup for someone ordering the first time and wanting it go smoothly? Pad size? trace size? additions that just can't be lived without?

The reason why I'm asking? Well... Aside from most of my pedalboard consisting of madbean-based projects, this one is actually related to a switch to control them...

I got a pedalsync9 system working, but it didn't function quite how I wanted. It only allowed for one loop at a time, and wasn't programmable. I could get parts/new boards to update it, but that was pricy. It also mutes the audio signal during the switch (to avoid a pop noise, as is common with relays), but it's too long and not adjustable.

I liked the higher quality parts from the pedalsync, however, which I can reuse, and the idea behind it. Some sleuthing led me to an Arduino project online, which was programmable and much more flexible. So I combined the good aspects of the pedalsync (the photofet muting, quality relay, etc), added an LCD screen and coded an ArduinoMega to program, store and recall any combination of 9 loops (each with 9 effects, in order - doesn't rearrange) in 11 banks (so 99 different combinations of 9 effects... Why you'd need 99, I don't know, but the code let me do it, so it does it). All true bypass, LCD display, customizable mute length (so it actually is inaudible), more options for LEDs and relatively easy to build, all things considered.

Breadboarding went well using LEDs and pushbuttons. Great in theory, but I'm waiting on some parts to see how the sound works out (the opto module, some transistors, etc.). The pedalsync had a lot of hum/buzz in it, and that's been a complaint from some (not all) of the original Arduino system from which I based this project, as well. I'm hopeful that with the higher quality parts and an effort to keep the audio signal truly separate from the digital signal, I can make this work, and it never hurts to try something new, right?

I designed a single sided PCB, which has a couple jumpers, but with a 2-sided, it would only need one. Obviously not final, as I'm waiting on some parts to breadboard, but just getting a head start.

If there are other, better options for PCB manufacture, I'd love to hear them. :-) And if anyone has built something similar, I'd love to see it!

As always, thank you in advance!

[imjonwain]

I like Seeed so far, I've only done 2 boards with them and they both came out looking fine.  They have their own Design rule check files and Gerber generating files you can download on their site so everything is pretty seamless if you meet those requirements.  They are also cheap and pretty quick (In my experience, others have complained about this).   

At my work we use PCBex, their website is very basic but communication with them is good and they don't charge extra for things as much as Seeed does it seems (milling, excessive unplated holes, weird board shapes, etc).  But you do have to manually read their design rules from their FAQ and if you need to double check your gerbers yourself, not a big deal really.  Their silkscreening is kinda meh sometimes is my only complaint

Osh park is great too.